WORSHIP

In the Fall of 2003 we tried something new. We had a program on financial stewardship. The idea to have this program started with a conversation Graham had this Spring with the Rev. Heather Sigler, our Presbytery's Associate for Congregational Service. She spoke about the need for churches to talk about financial stewardship on a regular basis, not to increase giving, but to help members grow spiritually. She also introduced a program called "New Consecration Sunday," developed by Herb Miller. Later in the Spring Graham and Elder Ron Knouse attended a Presbytery conference on Stewardship where they learned more about the program. The Session discussed it over several months and decided to try the program in our church.

New Consecration Sunday focuses on our need to give for our own spiritual growth, not on the need of the church to receive money. For this reason, the program is done BEFORE the church formulates its annual budget, so members aren't thinking, "how much do I have to give this year so the church can pay its bills." Another important aspect of the program is having a catered meal after the worship service on Consecration Sunday. The meal is catered so that no one misses out on worship because they are preparing the meal. Also, because it is catered, the church has to take reservations, and this encourages members to commit themselves to attending worship.

We celebrated Consecration Sunday on October 19th. Heather Sigler was our guest speaker and guided us through the program. The Consecration Sunday team was made up of Harriet Brown, Glenn Zeitler, Pete House, Ann Scheirer, Norma Frymoyer, Steve Hackenberger, and Ann Mae Peoples. Ron Knouse was the chairman.

On the three Sundays leading up to Consecration Sunday we had a member share a short testimonial on why they give. Harriet Brown spoke of how her offering was a way to give back to God for all the loving things He had done for her through the congregation. Glenn Zeitler had a two part announcement. In the first part he invited members to look at a table included in the bulletin. It compared weekly income to weekly offerings so that we could see what percentage of our income we were giving. He then invited everyone to consider "growing one step" by increasing their giving by one percent in the new year. He finished his announcement by sharing how he gave as a response to the tremendous grace he had experienced from God. Pete House gave the final testimonial. He shared excerpts from an article in the "Religious Telescope" published November 13, 1926, that spoke of the tithe as a way we participate in God's work here on earth. On October 12th Graham preached a sermon on, "The Widow's Mite," from Mark 12:41-44. He pointed out that Jesus drew attention to the widow as a condemnation of the Scribes who "devoured widows' houses" through their teachings on money. It serves as a warning to churches that focus on giving to the church rather than on growing in our relationship with God. But the story also calls on us to stop and think about what we give and why.

Each Sunday the congregation had a chance to make reservations for the Celebration Brunch that would follow worship on Consecration Sunday. On Sunday, October 12, the Trustees, Session, and Consecration Sunday team members gathered for dinner at the Family House Restaurant. Heather Sigler joined us and gave an inspirational message on tithing. We then asked those present to call on members who had not yet made reservations and invite them to attend worship on Consecration Sunday and take their reservations for the brunch. We want to thank Ann Scheirer who called the church leaders and encouraged them to attend that dinner.

On October 19th Heather Sigler joined us once again, this time as our guest minister during worship. At the end of the service she preached a sermon entitled, "A Letter From Zacchaeus," from Luke 19:1-10. In the sermon she imagined how Zacchaeus might have responded to an invitation to attend worship on Consecration Sabbath after his encounter with Jesus. The service ended with a time of commitment. Instead of asking members to pledge, we asked them to estimate how much they would give each week in the new year. They then wrote that amount on an "Estimate of Giving Card," placed the card on the communion table as an act of prayer, and left the sanctuary in silence. Those who were not comfortable filling out a card were invited to leave the cards blank but still place them on the communion table, consecrating themselves and their offerings to God.

After worship we had our Celebration Brunch in the church fellowship hall. The brunch was catered by the Fayette Fire Company under the guidance of Connie Kerstetter. The food was delicious and included marinated subs, cheesy hash browns, fresh fruit, and muffins. We want to thank Norma Frymoyer for coordinating the arrangements with the Fire Company. While everyone was enjoying the food and fellowship, Steve Hackenberger and Anna Mae Peoples compared the Estimate of Giving Cards to our offerings over the last 12 months. They reported that we should see an increase of 34% in our offerings next year. It is our prayer that those who participated in our Consecration Sunday worship service have experienced a renewed commitment to serving God, not just with their offerings, but with their lives as well. Click here to see more pictures from the event.

ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTING